Itinerary -
Day 01: Haridwar – Auli (2450 m) Drive/280 kms/8-9 hrs
We will meet at Haridwar railway station at 7 a.m and from here board a vehicle and be driven up to Auli. This is a long but interesting drive. You will for most part of the journey drive along the Ganga & Alaknanda rivers. Enroute you will be crossing the holy towns of Devprayag & Rudraprayag. Evening relax at the beautiful lodge. Overnight in the lodge in Auli (www.himalayanecolodges.com/auli.php).
Day 02: Auli (2450 m) – Khulara (3225 m) Trek/6 hrs
After an early breakfast we drive a short distance to reach the starting point of the trek at Dhak Bend. From here we trek through a misty Himalayan village where you can get acquaint with the locals and their lifestyle. The trail further moves in an enchanting mixed forest, abundant in bird life , opening into the alpine meadow at Khulara. It’s a beautiful open meadow giving magnificent views of massive giants of the Garhwal Himalayas. Overnight in tents.
Day 03: Khulara (2550m) – Kuari Pass (3650m) Trek/ 3-4 hrs
Today we go through a series of ascents on meadows which keep on getting better as we move up. Walking on thick sheets of fresh snow with the crisp mountain air and brilliant views! We will reach Kuari pass in about 3 hours or so. One can opt for skiing down from the pass till the campsite at Khulara, as the slopes are perfect for that. Today you will get to view many big and renowned Himalayan peaks like Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Haathi-Ghodi, Kamet, Mana, Dronagiri, etc. Overnight in tents.
Day 04: Backup day for the Climb to Kuari Pass/ Skiing
This day is kept as a backup, just in case the climb to Kuari pass could not be done on day 3. If the pass is done on day 3 you can engage in some fine skiing. Overnight in the tents.
Day 05: Skiing at Khulara (3225m) – Dhak (2000m) – Auli Trek/3.5-5.5 hrs & Drive/45 mins
This day we will continue with an exciting session on Skiing. We sharpen our skills with enjoyment at its best in perfect serene. Post lunch we start climbing down towards the road linking Joshimath to Niti-Malari valley. We will walk all the way down to Dhak a small market place on this road. Walk today is again a completely enjoyable experience with us walking through interesting forest sections and couple of scenically located villages. We will make short stops at Tugasi & Karchi village and spend time interacting with people and getting to know more about their way of life. From Dhak we will board the waiting vehicles and drive to Auli where a hot shower followed by a sumptuous meal awaits us. Overnight at the lodge.
Day 06: Auli – Haridwar Drive/280 kms/8-9 hrs
After breakfast drive down to Haridwar.
Trip Ends With Sweet Memories !!!
List of Essentials
Mountain/adventure travel requires one to be adequately equipped with the right kind of personal gear. Since one is travelling in the wilderness there will be hardly any opportunity to buy anything once you hit the trail so we urge you to carefully pack everything into your bags. Also please keep in mind you can rent out or purchase equipment from our Gear Store, if required..
Shirts / T-shirts – 2/3
Jeans / Trekking Pants - 2
Windproof jacket of decent quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) preferably with a hood
Warm and thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
Woollen cap
Woollen gloves
Woollen socks & regular socks (3-4 pairs)
Scarf/muffler (optional)
Comfortable Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole are recommended)
Lightweight floaters/sandals/slippers
Raincoat / Poncho
Small light weight towel
Water bottle (sturdy ones, no empty Bisleri bottles!!)
Cap / Hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
Sun glasses
Walking stick / Trekking pole
Sunscreen Lotion
Lip Balm
Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
Personal toiletries
Books, if you like reading
Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
Carry rain cover for your bags
Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
Camera if you like (with fully charged batteries))
…LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE
Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage. As you will be walking long distances carrying a rucksack, avoid bringing unnecessary items on the trek. Please avoid carrying expensive watches, jewellery and electronic items on the trek.
For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009
TRANSPORT OPTIONS (Delhi – Haridwar – Delhi)
For travel to Haridwar and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (30 kms) in Dehradun and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines & Spice Jet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there.
There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Haridwar that cost about Rs. 200-500 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 4/5 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.
Weather Details
This trek is organized between end Dec& Mar when the region has had good snowfall. Contrary to popular belief, winters are a good time to be in the mountains if one is equipped properly. Most locals inhabiting higher reaches of the mountains don’t mind the problems associated with snowfall and seem to have a good time during these months. Also there are lots of local festivals in these months. In these months weather is generally clear most of the days. Day time is pleasantly warm with one getting to enjoy sitting out in the sun and temperatures would be around 12-17 °C. Evenings are quite cold and one would need to be inside a tent/room or sitting outside next to fire with proper winter clothes. The evening temperatures will be around 0 to 5 °C. Nights can be very cold with temperatures in the range of -5 to 0 °C.
Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.
Duration: 6 Days
Season: Dec-Mar
Grade: Moderate +
Region: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)
Description
The Kuari pass trek, also referred to as the Lord Curzon trail trek, is surely one of the most popular and finest treks in the Indian Himalayas. According to us only thing missing on this trail was the adventure element so we modified the regular itinerary a bit and introduce trekking here in snow and skiing on these slopes when its packed with meters of snow. You climb through a beautiful mountain village called Karchi from where you climb up to the meadows at Khulara, and approach the pass from here. One can experience the culture of the Himalayan villages while crossing the establishment. Situated at a short distance from the village, Khulara turns out to be safer yet secluded inside a forest cover. This being one of the most beautiful campsites in the Himalayas provides a magnificent panorama of the higher Himalayan giants like Nanda Devi, Hati Ghodi parbat, Mt Dunagiri and many other massive peaks.
From Khulara you climb up on a gradual slope and reach the pass. These slopes at Khulara provide better grounds for skiing and snowboarding for even beginners as the gradient is much gradual than that in Auli. In the winters the climb involves navigating through deep snow with extraordinary views all around.
For mountain lovers this trail offers king size views of Himalayas and an opportunity to be transported into inner Himalayan region in a very short duration. This is a spectacular trek where you will, for most of the times be walking on endless meadows covered in thick snow, with big and small mountains jutting out. There are beautiful forest sections, magnificent campsites, and sunrise & sunsets to die for, in addition to many more enjoyable facets of the Himalayas which make trekking a worthwhile activity. You will also get the opportunity to ski down from the pass to the campsite.
Highlight of the trip would surely be the views of the most revered mountain in the world, Nanda Devi (7816 m) along with other towering giants like Dronagiri (7066 m), Kamet (7757 m), Chaukhamba (7128 m) & Trishul (7120 m) peak and many-many more
Another big highlight of this trek would be the opportunity to visit and stay in the snow capital of Uttarakhand; Auli, where you stay in the scenically located & very comfortable Himalayan Eco lodge. Located amidst a beautiful apple orchard the lodges provide beautiful views with a peaceful environment.